Month: January 2019

Word of Mouth: The cross-cultural magic of storytelling comes alive at Funda Fest

Oral storytelling is one of the oldest traditions known to man; the intimacy of storytelling was how groups of people retold their history, entertained each other and reinforced their cultural values. The Rhode Island Black Storytellers’ (RIBS) Funda Fest, which takes place in late January and early February, keeps that tradition alive as storytellers share […]

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Opinion: Governor’s Proposal to Legalize Recreational Cannabis – A Self-Inflicted Wound

[See also, “News Analysis: RI to Legalize Recreational Cannabis,” Jan 16, 2019] The more I talk to people on both sides of RI Governor Gina Raimondo’s proposal to legalize recreational cannabis, the more pessimistic I become that anything at all can be passed by the General Assembly: the proposal is almost custom-crafted to displease everyone and […]

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The Burn at Wilbury – OMG! Trial by Ordeal IRL!

Four public high school girls and an intelligent, caring teacher study and rehearse Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This may seem nothing very unusual, but that play is a classic story of cliques forming within small groups, politicking for advantage. Its subject, the Salem witch trials of 1692-1693, were driven in large part by the testimony […]

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News Analysis: RI to Legalize Recreational Cannabis

[See also “Opinion: Governor’s Proposal to Legalize Recreational Cannabis – A Self-Inflicted Wound”, Jan 16, 2019] Gov. Gina Raimondo will soon formally propose to legalize recreational use of cannabis, citing pressure from legalization already accomplished in Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont; and from legalization widely regarded as imminent in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Norman Birenbaum, of […]

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Watch Larry Houbre Jr. Pull a Rabbit Out of His Hat in Harvey at YTI

  New Bedford’s Your Theatre Inc. (YTI) has a pleasant January planned with their upcoming production of the 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey by Mary Chase. The volunteer community theater has been a non-profit mainstay of the cultural scene in the southcoast area for more than 70 years, producing a full season of shows annually. Suzanne […]

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